My Heart Beats Fast For Her
by asterixn
Summary: PJO Femslash Week 2018 / a series of unconnected one-shots / chapter 1: Annabeth is jealous, not because she likes Percy, but because she likes Rachel
1. my heart is a grenade

_day 1: sunday_

 _for the prompt "firsts"_

 _my heart is a grenade_

* * *

Annabeth was self-aware. She had to be. As a daughter of Athena, she knew that in order to win a battle you had to know both your enemy and yourself. Psychoanalysing herself? _Please._ At this point in her life, she practically did that in her sleep. If Annabeth was anything, she was certainly self-aware.

Having such cognizance, it wasn't hard to figure out her jealousy. Contrary to the obvious suspicions of many of the demigods she knew, she did not have a crush on Percy— she had a crush on _Rachel._

In hindsight, it made a lot of sense.

Nevertheless, she continued to pine for what seemed like years. Annabeth had never liked a girl before, not _that_ way, at least. In all honesty, she didn't think that she'd ever liked _anyone_ that way before, regardless of gender. For a time, she'd thought, maybe _,_ _maybe_ Percy? But, no. Her feelings for Percy were purely platonic. Her feelings for Rachel? Not so much.

Again, though. She'd never felt this way about, well, anyone before. It was a first for her. How the Hades does she even proceed? How would she know if Rachel even felt the same? So many questions. So few answers.

Annabeth hated this, hated the uncertainty. But she didn't exactly know what else to do. So she did what she did best. She kept quiet and played out situations in her head, hundreds upon hundreds of scenarios that would never ever happen, but made her feel as if she was actually doing something productive.

Annabeth watches, or maybe more accurately stares in slight awe as Rachel navigates them through the Labyrinth and gets them out of several binds. She's just a mortal girl thrown into Annabeth's crazy world of gods and monsters and _titans._ But Rachel seems to manage just fine, even hitting the Lord of Time himself in the eye with a plastic hairbrush at one point. She— she's so— so _competent,_ so _beautiful_ , so _bold_ , and _well-spoken,_ and _brave_ and— well, Annabeth thinks she could go on forever.

Annabeth is in love with Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

There is no "maybe" or "might be," just _is._ It's a tautology— a universal truth. It's simple fact, but still so hard to act on.

Annabeth knows she can be mean, she's sad to say it's one of her many faults. She hates that part of herself, the part that can be judgemental and unfair and she does her best to counter it. She does, but sometimes she's mean and nasty anyway.

Rachel seems to be getting along well with Percy, maybe _too_ well. And her jealousy — jealousy of Percy because Rachel may or may not like him and she doesn't know what she's supposed to do and Percy, of all people, is the only one who even knows she's gay and therein lies the obvious problem with going to him for advice and internally she's kinda-maybe-sorta panicking — makes her act unfairly, to both of them.

Annabeth regrets that a lot, but there isn't exactly much she can do — it's in the past now — other than step aside if Rachel really does want to pursue a relationship with him. Annabeth loves Rachel, loves her. And if Percy makes Rachel happy, then Annabeth will do her best to not get in the way of that. She succeeds… mostly, at least.

But time goes by, and nothing really happens— between Rachel and Percy, and also between Rachel and Annabeth.

Then comes the war. It's _big,_ and _bad,_ and so, so _bloody._

Rachel is brave, of course she is. And Annabeth does her best to be brave as well. She is no less in love with Rachel, maybe even more than she was before.

There is so much bloodshed, and in the midst of it all, she takes a poisoned knife for Percy. She's been pretty close to death before, but in the pain, it feels so much closer than ever before. She's almost drowning in the pain now, and she promises herself that if she somehow manages to survive, she'll tell Rachel how she feels, how she _really_ feels.

And then the miracle of all miracles happens, and Annabeth survives.

Percy lives too, and though she may not love him the same way she loves Rachel, she does love him. Percy is her best friend, for better or worse, and she doesn't think she could live without him.

But, and maybe most importantly, Rachel lives.

The memory of getting injured is blurry with pain, but she remembers her oath to herself vividly, and she intends to keep it, though maybe not at this exact moment. Rachel is the new Oracle. Strangely, Annabeth isn't surprised. Rachel is incredible, and becoming the Oracle is just the sort of amazing wonderful thing that Annabeth knows Rachel is easily capable of. Annabeth is still uncertain, though, more uncertain than she's been in a while. As unsurprising as Rachel becoming the Oracle is, it's also an unknown variable. What if this changes things? What if, even worse, there was nothing to change in the first place?

Still, Annabeth steels herself. She waits a few days, things have been a bit hectic with the whole " _the second Titan War just happened and we're actually still here"_ thing, and then she confronts Rachel.

Annabeth finds her on the beach. She'd asked around and Clarisse, though she'd raised her eyebrows almost suggestively, had told her where to find Rachel. Annabeth half expects to find her there with Percy, but when she finally makes her way to the beach, she finds Rachel laying on the sand, staring up at the stars.

"Rachel," she begins, not sure what else to say, as she sits down on the cool sand next to Rachel.

"Hey, Annabeth," Rachel answers, but she hasn't moved. She takes one last glance at the night sky before sitting up, looking inquisitively at Annabeth. "What's up?"

"I—" Annabeth's resolve has crumbled in the few seconds she's been here, but she soldiers on. She survived a war, she can get through this.

"I like you, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I, uh, I like you a lot," Annabeth confesses, and her heart pounds harder than it ever has.

But Rachel just smiles and takes Annabeth's hands in her own. As if they have a mind of their own, Annabeth's fingers interlace with Rachel's.

"I like you, too, Annabeth Chase," Rachel confides.

Impossibly, Annabeth's heart beats faster.

And then, all of a sudden, Rachel is leaning closer. And then Annabeth is also leaning closer. And then Rachel keeps leaning and Annabeth is also still leaning and Annabeth is _pretty sure_ she knows what's about to happen but at the same time this is the moment she's _dreamed_ about for over a year and it's very surreal, so surreal she thinks she might still be dreaming.

And then their lips touch.

It is everything Annabeth has ever imagined, and so much _more._

Her first love, her first kiss, a new beginning— free from the horrors they've endured these past few years. It is a delight she is all too happy to partake in.

Annabeth closes her eyes and lets her instincts take over as she is consumed by their kiss.

Her heart erupts in an explosion of _color_ and _feeling._

And so does her world.

* * *

 _a/n: so this is my fic for day 1, sunday. its a bit early but i liked it too much to wait. so this is for pjo femslash week 2018, as you've probably already seen. make sure to check them out on their tumblr **pjofemslashweek** for more content. also i would love if anyone could follow my newly established (solely for writing) blog on tumblr, **vault-of-stars** , for more of my writing and just because it would make my day._

 _thank you so much for reading, there's still six more one-shots on the way so make sure to favorite and follow!_

 _~nocturnalis_


	2. nothing but dreams inside

_day 2: monday_

 _for the prompt "fluff"_

 _nothing but dreams inside_

* * *

Piper and Hazel were— well, Piper wasn't sure exactly what they were, but it was something special.

They'd met by chance at a concert, their seats were right next to each other. They'd struck up a conversation and bonded easily. Fast-forward a few months, and now they were snuggling together in Hazel's bed.

Piper ran a stray hand through Hazel's hair as she thought about how lucky they were to have found each other. They fit so well together, complementing and bringing out the best in each other. As they huddled together for warmth on the brisk Fall day, Piper moved her head over so she could rest her head on Hazel's shoulder.

"Hazel?" Piper mumbled.

"Mmgh?" Hazel said without bothering to open her eyes.

"I love you."

Piper could feel Hazel turning her head so that her chin buried itself in Piper's hair.

"I love you, too, Piper."

Piper snuggled closer. Hazel was the best. She was honest and compassionate. She made Piper feel like she could tell her anything, and so she had. Piper opened herself up and told Hazel all about her absent mother, her juvenile delinquency, and her carefully rectified and delicate relationship with her father. In return, Hazel had told her about her late mother and distant father. Piper had never been so transparent with any of her past girlfriends and boyfriends, but there was just something about Hazel that made it easy to trust her— and Piper loved that about her.

A pitter-patter outside Hazel's window alerted Piper to the fact that it had started lightly raining. Piper tucked a strand of hair that had slipped out of her braids behind her ear and sat up.

"C'mon, Hazel, she called as she slipped out of the bed, "let's go!"

"What?" Hazel asked drowsily, "No… It'll be all wet!"

"That's the best part!" Piper laughed.

She grabbed ahold of one of Hazel's hands and tugged until Hazel finally got out of bed. Hazel sighed.

"There's no resisting you, is there?" Hazel said fondly. Hazel gave her a quick peck on the lips before saying, "Alright, let's go!"

Piper beamed.

They slipped on some rain boots and ignore jackets alltogether. Hand in hand, they walk outside into the rain.

They stomped on puddles and spun in circles, laughing carelessly. They took each other's hands and danced together. They tilted their heads to the sky and lost themselves in the mist.

Piper looked at Hazel. A myriad of raindrops had gotten caught in Hazel's curly hair. The water droplets reminded Piper of little crystals refracting light. The way they framed Hazel's face made her look like some sort of ethereal goddess— which Piper thought fit Hazel perfectly.

Piper took Hazel's hand in her own and spun her in a circle. As Hazel came back around she surprised Piper with an unexpected kiss on her lips.

Piper caught her in her arms and they held each other, each helping relieve some of the weight that the other carried. As their lips touched, Hazel caressed Piper's cheek, and Piper had never felt more at home anywhere else.


End file.
